Sporting Lisbon defender Marcos Rojo has claimed he will become a Manchester United player in the very near future after speaking on Argentinian radio.

101 Great Goals highlighted reports in both A Bola and O Jogothat claim the left-back will arrive at Old Trafford, with United soon to announce the deal publicly. Luis Nani will return to Sporting as part of the €20 million transfer, on loan for a year.

David McDonnell of the DailyMirror also confirmed the likelihood of the deal on Twitter:

Rojo is likely to be thrown straight into first-team action when his deal is sealed, with the Red Devils in the middle of a severe injury crisis.

The South American player has the ability to play as a left wing-back and also the left side of a back-three, giving Louis van Gaal the options he needs to employ his most recently favoured tactics.

LvG played Jesse Lingard as a make-shift wing-back against Swansea but was forced to change his shape and tactics after the young starlet was injured early on, per Joe Strange of the Mail Online.

Rojo will bring an aggression to the United team that they currently do not have.

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

The 24-year-old played six times during his country's march to the World Cup final in Brazil, per WhoScored.com, also scoring once. He is an uncompromising individual and his style of play is perfect for the Premier League.

United unexpectedly lost Patrice Evra shortly after the World Cup, after the player turned his back on the club to join Juventus, despite signing a new deal.

And with Luke Shaw now out injured for a month, Rojo's signing has become essential business.

Paulo Duarte/Associated Press

Nani leaving the club is no surprise. His career has completely faltered at Old Trafford and he needs the transfer to revive his career. His time at United will certainly not be remembered as fondly as he would have hoped.

The purchase of Rojo represents United moving in the correct direction but his addition needs to be the first of a handful of buys in the next few days, before the transfer window slams shut.

Which position do Manchester United need to strengthen next?

Which position do Manchester United need to strengthen next?

Centre-back

Central midfield

Winger

All three

40.9%

Total votes: 11,251

Van Gaal clearly needs a nucleus of talent to push the team forward and it is debatable whether United can qualify for the Champions League with the current roster.

The next step will be to secure a world-class midfielder and winger, to give the squad the depth it needs. Chief executive Ed Woodward has once again struggled to meet United's obvious needs in the marketplace, and if the team fails on the pitch due to his lack of tangible activity, the Glazer family will surely be forced to assess his position and role.